


Not the Same Without You

by audrey1nd



Series: A Lady Always Comes When She Wants [3]
Category: Hockey RPF, Olympics RPF
Genre: 2012-2013 NHL Lockout, 2014 Winter Olympics, Alternate Universe - Always a Different Sex, Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, Babies, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Genderswap, Growing Up Together, Injury Recovery, Multi, Polyamory Negotiations, Pregnancy, Sappy, Schmoop, Women in the NHL
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-24
Updated: 2016-04-24
Packaged: 2018-06-04 03:39:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,260
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6639898
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/audrey1nd/pseuds/audrey1nd
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hockey has brought PK all of her biggest loves. First it brought her John Tavares. Then Stephanie Stamkos. Now she thinks all that's left is winning gold with the most important people in her life.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Not the Same Without You

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoy this! It's a little different than what you asked for, but it worked really well with my headcanons, so I hope you like it too.
> 
> Thanks to everyone in chat for helping me figure out what to do with my prompts! 
> 
> This is set in a universe where the women playing in men's leagues in the early 2000s ended up getting signed to tanking NHL teams in a "hey, it can't hurt" move that leads to women eventually being drafted as well. The story starts during the NHL 2012-2013 lockout and ends the summer after the 2014 Sochi Olympics.

It always seemed like a foregone conclusion that PK and John would eventually get together. She’d known him her entire life and even when they weren’t playing on the same team, or even in the same leagues, it seemed like he was always there. Showing up to congratulate her, at family dinner, running into him and his parents at the grocery store and rolling their eyes at each other while their parents talked endlessly.

But that was before PK met Steph and all of a sudden her world opened up. While she and John shared hockey, it wasn’t quite the same because they’d been shoved together. They’d never really had a choice when it came to being friends. But Steph chose her. Out of all the kids on the team, it was her that had ended up with Steph for a best friend. Every once in a while (as in, every time they played each other) the media would trot out the photos of their seven-year-old selves playing on a team together, asking them how it feels to play against a friend. And being the troll that she is, Steph always makes up some bullshit about friendship ending when the game begins. Her mom sends her every single article about the two of them. But after every game, there’s always a hug; and dinner if they have time. It’s the same with John, too. 

Well, not quite the same. PK smiled to herself, remembering how great it had been to win gold at worlds with Steph. Winning gold had cemented their plans to play in the NHL one day, just like Hayley Wickenheiser had recently made history doing. Playing with her in the Olympics was another dream they were hoping for. 

It was after all the ceremonies and congratulations were done, when it was just the team partying in a hotel room, that Steph had turned to PK and kissed her. PK had been frozen for a moment before kissing back enthusiastically to the hoots and hollers of the team.

PK held up her middle finger as she kissed Steph, laughing against Steph’s mouth.

 

After that well, things between them were pretty clear when it came to feelings, even though they weren’t always together. But then the lockout happened.

On the one hand, it was great getting to spend so much time with Steph, playing hockey and organizing all sorts of events with their friends. But on the other hand, John was away in Europe and PK missed him. More than she thought that she would.

It’s like that song she always used to hear on the radio, “You don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone.”

It didn’t help that she saw his parents all the time, reminding her even more of his absence. 

 

And yet, it took Steph pointing it out for PK to realize exactly why she missed John so much. Sure, he’d always been a part of her life, but so had a lot of other people and she didn’t miss them nearly as much as she missed John.

“You love him,” Steph pointed out one night after they’d gotten off a Skype call with John. 

“What?” PK gasped in response. “No I don’t! I love you!”

Steph laughed and kissed the top of her head. “I love you too. But you can love more than one person. Don’t you remember the first time you met Szabados?”

PK laughed. “That was just infatuation. She was so pretty and cool! How could I not think she was amazing!”

“And when you met Carey?”

“Carey might as well be married. It doesn’t count.”

“I was worried the two of you were going to start having little goalie babies without me, especially since you’ve got a thing for goalies.”

“I’m defense. I gotta love my goalie! But I’d much rather have your babies,” PK gave Steph a wet kiss on the cheek. “And then not until we get our Olympic gold.”

Steph nudged PK in the side with her elbow, “Or they could be John’s babies,” she waggled her eyebrows.

PK snorted in response, rolling her eyes. “Yeah, whatever.”

 

Two nights later after another Skype call with John (that Steph had conveniently disappeared during), PK turned to face Steph in bed, whispering, “I think you might be right about John.”

Steph sat up and turned on the light, peering at PK in the sudden brightness. “Yeah?”

“Yeah,” PK nodded, feeling sheepish.

Steph leaned over and gave PK a hug. “I’m only right because I feel the same. That’s why it was so obvious to me. Though I’m pretty sure you’ve been in love with him all your life. You know we dated that summer you were gone, right?”

“No! You did?” PK asked shocked. “I can’t believe you didn’t tell me! I can’t believe you wouldn’t have told me everything!” she smacked Steph lightly in the arm as she yelled.

Steph shrugged. “Things got weird. And then they got weirder with all of us playing at different levels in different places. It never came up and there never seemed like a good time to bring it up.”

PK laughed, shaking her head. “You two are such fucking sneaks. But now that summer makes a whole lot more sense. You two were so awkward. I just thought it was because John had come back from training camp.” PK laid back down, laughing to herself. “So what now?”

“Ambush him at the airport when he comes back and see what happens?”

PK snorted in response. “Uh, I’m pretty sure his parents are going to be picking him up?”

“Eh, I’ll figure something out. In the meantime, we’ve got some hockey to play tomorrow,” Steph kissed PK on the cheek and turned off the light. 

“Yeah, against our dads.”

“Exactly! We definitely can’t lose or we’ll never hear the end of it.”

 

A month later and the lockout was over. Which meant that John would be coming home soon. 

Steph was cleaning their shared apartment, and PK glared at her suspiciously as she put their hockey gear in the washer.

“You never do the laundry. It took me a month to get you to even leave it in the laundry room. My housekeeper almost didn’t come back after smelling your gear the first time!”

“Yes I do! I washed the sheets last week!” Steph protested.

“And that turned out great. I have no idea how you manage to have any clean clothes without someone cleaning them for you.”

“Not all of us have fancy dry clean only, silk dress and wool suit wardrobes, PK.” Steph closed the washer door and turned it on. “See? No more stinky hockey gear in the hallway.”

PK looked at Steph and then looked at herself. PK was wearing sweatpants and one of her t-shirts from Juniors. Steph on the other hand, was wearing a pair of skinny jeans and a nice blouse. Which was very unlike her. Steph was a sweats and t-shirt girl all the way, and when dressing up was required, she looked preppy as hell. Instead, she looked pretty sexy.

“What’s going on?” PK stepped closer to Steph. “Are you wearing makeup?”

“What? No!” Steph denied nervously, taking a step back from PK.

“You are! What do you have planned? Tell me!” PK had backed Steph into the wall and was touching her chest with a pointed finger.

Steph looked down at where PK’s finger was resting, right in her cleavage, and then looked at PK through her lashes, moving in for a kiss.

PK let herself be distracted momentarily before regaining her focus and pushing Steph away.

“Nu-uh! Don’t try and distract me. Tell me what’s going on.”

Steph gave an exaggerated sigh and leaned back against the wall. “Well, if you must know, we’re picking up John from the airport in about two hours. So you should probably shower and get dressed,” she said nonchalantly.

“You are the fucking worst,” PK laughed as she made her way to the bathroom to shower.

 

PK stood next to Steph nervously, staring at the board that said John’s flight had just arrived. Once Steph had told her what was going on, PK had gotten excited and made a sign with John’s name on it that may or may not have glitter on it. But now that they were waiting for him to come out of customs it all felt too real. But then John came out and PK knew Steph was right. The sight of him made a weight in her chest lift and she felt lighter than she had since the first time Steph had kissed her. 

The surprised smile on John’s face when he spotted them and the laugh he let out when he saw their sign made her heart lift and she felt her face break out in an uncontrollable smile. When John reached them he just stood and stared at them for what seemed like ages, huge grin across his face, before he finally gathered them up in a hug, squishing the two of them together.

“Fuck it’s good to see your faces in person,” John breathed when he finally let go of them. 

“It’s good to see you too,” Steph said. PK was still grinning too hard to say anything, her voice caught in her throat. “Let’s get you home for a nap.”

“Poutine?” John asked hopefully.

PK let out a startled laugh. It was just so typical. “Yeah, we’ll get some poutine,” she grinned, putting an arm around John’s shoulders and leading him towards the exit.

 

John walked out of the guest bedroom and slumped down onto the couch next to PK, hair mussed and eyes still sleepy. And PK just couldn’t stop herself from leaning over and kissing John, burying her hands in his hair.

John kissed her back enthusiastically, tongue delving into her mouth, the kiss messy and kind of sloppy. And then he stopped, separating? (awk) from her quickly, blinking rapidly in confusion, mouth opening and closing. “Wait, aren’t you – “ he cut himself off and licked his lips before continuing. “You and Steph – “ 

Steph came in from the kitchen carrying a bowl of popcorn. “What about me?”

“Aren’t you and PK dating?” John asked in confusion, looking from PK to Steph, his eyes lingering on PK’s lips. She licked them self-consciously.

“Sometimes,” Steph said in response, sitting down next to John. “We’ve been together for a long time, yeah.” Steph put the bowl on the table. “We love each other. And we love you too.”

She turned to John, who was still sleep-addled enough to be pliable, and kissed him, soft and sweet. PK watched as he melted into the kiss. John’s hands rested on Steph’s waist and Steph reached around John to hold PK’s hand.

“Is that okay?” PK asked when John turned to her after the kiss.

PK didn’t think John could smile bigger than he had when he’d seen them at the airport earlier, but somehow the smile that was spreading across his face was bigger and brighter, highlighted by the blush spreading across his cheeks. John nodded in response, before swallowing, Adam’s apple bobbing, “Yeah, I think that’s okay. It’s fucking amazing actually.”

John leaned towards PK and kissed her again, thorough and wet, not pulling away this time, even as PK felt Steph’s hair tickle her ear. She was probably sucking a hickey into John’s neck, making a mark before they all had to go back to their separate cities in just a few days. The lockout might be over, but the schedule hadn’t been set just yet.

The next few days were occupied with them figuring things out between the three of them, though John did have to leave from time to time to see family and friends since John had been in Europe for all those months. When it was just Steph and PK, things seemed just the same as always, except there was that extra bit of excitement for something new. Things weren’t that different on the surface, but apparently PK really had been oblivious because now that they’d brought in John he was so much freer with himself and his affections. If you’d asked PK before, she wouldn’t have thought that John was holding so much back, but apparently he had. Seeing him so happy and loose made PK appreciate Steph even more. She’d had just enough distance to see what was going on and now they were all benefiting from her wisdom. 

PK leaned over from her slump on the couch and kissed Steph on the temple.

“What was that for?” Steph asked.

PK smiled. “I love so much. You take care of me so well.”

Steph laughed. “Oh really? Does that mean I can make dinner tonight?”

PK rolled her eyes. “You wish. No one wants to eat your nasty cooking. But you make sure I get what I need.”

“Oh really?” Steph waggled her eyebrows, bringing their foreheads together. Steph kissed PK softly, making the moment serious again. “I love you too. I’m so glad you’re happy.”

“I’m glad you know how to make me so happy.”

 

PK called Steph the moment she heard about what happened and was so worried when she didn’t pick up that she ended up leaving a voicemail. 

PK had played against John the day before (and won!) and was playing against the Lighting the next day, so she had been ecstatic while watching Steph’s game, anticipating seeing her. But her stomach dropped as she saw Steph hit the post and then try and fail to get back up.

After her failed call to Steph, PK called John up, and she could hear the panic in his voice when he picked up. 

“Are you going to go down?” his breath was panicked and harsh.

“I can make it. Can you?”

John paused, probably to check his schedule against flights. “I can. But only for about a day.”

“Okay, send me your flight info and I’ll either meet you at the airport or at her place,” PK said hurriedly, already booking the next flight out on her computer.

“Love you,” John sounded far calmer than he had when he’d picked up the phone.

“I love you too,” PK replied. “I’m sure she’ll be fine.”

 

Steph had announced to the media that she thought she was going to be better in time for the Olympics, but PK had been talking to her almost every day during her rehab and knew she was just being hopeful. She wasn’t surprised when it was eventually announced that Steph wasn’t healed enough to go, but it was still a letdown. Winning Olympic gold together had been their dream, and now Steph wouldn’t even be there.

PK and John were heading back to Toronto before they went to Russia and PK was determined to spend as much of that time with Steph as possible. 

“They think I won’t be ready to skate again for at least another month,” Steph sighed, taking another shot as PK turned over another card.

John drew her in and cuddled her against his chest. “It’s hard, but you’ve gotta let it heal. You don’t want to end up like Richie. Or Taylor Hall. Coming back from an injury too early is never a good idea.”PK’

Steph wiggled out of his embrace and leaned forward to flip over another card.

“Waterfall!” PK called out, pointing at John as he picked up his beer and chugged it down.

Steph laughed at the burp John let out after he finished. PK was glad to hear her happy again. The last few months had been hard on her.

PK’s phone pinged and she opened it up to another Instagram picture of Gonch’s kids being adorable.

“Oh man, Gonch’s kids are so cute!” PK cried out.

John laughed. “Your team is half old dads and half babies right now.”

“Hey!” PK protested. “The rookies are awesome!”

PK and John started bickering about rookies. PK looked over at Steph and stopped talking.

“What’s up?” she asked Steph.

“Well I’m not going to the fucking Olympics, so I might as well take the time, right? It’s actually kind of perfect.” Steph laughed bitterly.

“What?” PK asked startled.

“Kids,” Steph explained. “I’m out for at least another month and you can usually play for the first few months. And I’d have the kid in like, August or September. Just enough time to be ready for next season.”

“Shit,” John breathed out. “Really?” PK could see the excitement in his eyes. John loved kids.

“Are you sure?” PK asked, hesitantly. They’d talked about kids plenty, even when it was just them, but Steph hadn’t really been herself lately. 

“I started thinking about it the moment they told me how long it’d take. Going to the Olympics was just wishful thinking.”

“Oh Steph,” PK moved to sit next to Steph on the couch and wrapped her up in a hug, stroking her hair.

John wrapped his arms around both of them.

“Shit, this kid’s going to be a monster,” PK joked, breaking the serious mood. 

“Then let’s go and make sure we meet them,” Steph stood up and took their hands, leading the two of them into the bedroom.

 

PK kissed Steph the next morning as they left for the airport. “I love you so fucking much. We are going to raise the shit out of this baby. And all of its parents will have gold medals.”

Steph laughed, “Then you’d better go win one.”

 

PK was elated after winning gold at the Olympics, but as the celebrations died down she couldn’t help but remember how the last time she had won gold it had been with Steph by her side. This time Steph was back home with her broken leg.

“John!” she yelled, sitting up all of a sudden, displacing a drifting Marie-Philip Poulin.

“Shut up and go find him!” was called back at her from the next room by one of her teammates. The party had died down, but it seemed the party was still going in there, though slightly quieter as people drifted off. Or rather, passed out drunk.

PK was still a bit drunk, but she was slowly coming down and missing her family. Steph might not be here with her, but John was.

 

“You and Stammer,” she said as he opened the door for her. “You make quite the pair with your bum legs. Leaving all the hockey playing to me.”

John pulled a face at her, but he couldn’t hide his smile at seeing her, gold medal still hanging around her neck.

“How’s it feel to be dating an Olympic gold medalist?” she asked as he moved to let her into the room.

John sat down heavily on the bed and PK climbed onto his lap to kiss him, being careful of his knee.

“Here, you can wear it for now. I’m sure you’ll get one of your own soon enough,” PK slipped the ribbon over his head, bestowing it with a kiss to his forehead. She threaded her fingers through his hair, brushing it back so that it sticks up in the air. 

John brought his hands up and cupped her face, big hands on her jaw, thumbs stroking under her chin. John sat up and brought their faces together, kissing her sweetly before deepening the kiss. PK’s mouth opened up under his and his tongue slipped into her mouth, probably tasting the champagne she’d been drinking with the rest of the team. 

Eventually PK moved so that she’s cuddled into John’s side and they lay in bed together, talking about nothing, until PK drifted off to sleep, comfortable in his arms.

 

John lost his grump by the time the Canadian men made it into the final. He’d been cheering his head off in the stands next to PK, but for the final he was down on the bench, watching on the edge of his seat, crutches leaning next to him.

It was crazy in her section of the stands when the buzzer went off for the end of the game. She watched all her friends rush out onto the ice, John included.

She stayed, along with the rest of her teammates, through the medal ceremony, heading back to the dorms with the rest of the team for the celebration.

 

John tumbled onto the couch next to PK, bottle of champagne in his hand.

“We did it!” he yelled excitedly, holding up his medal. PK was wearing hers for the occasion. She just couldn’t help herself.

“Fuck yeah, Canada!” she yelled, to the general approval of the room at large who yelled it back in response.

John kissed her, bottle of champagne cold against her side, his hand creeping up under her shirt, stroking at her stomach.

“Shit,” PK gasped, breaking the kiss when John’s fingers brushed across her nipples. She looked around the room at the rest of the players, none of whom seemed to be paying attention to them, some of whom were even similarly engaged.

“Come on. Your room should be empty,” PK nodded towards the crowd of dancing hockey players.

John took her hand and another swing from the champagne, before passing it to PK.

They’d finished off the bottle by the time they made it to his room and John put it down before reaching forward to take off PK’s shirt, lips covering her skin as it was revealed.

“Come on, pants off,” PK whined as soon as her shirt was over her head and John squirmed to comply. PK wiggled out of her own and sat down on the bed, waiting for John to join her.

John fumbled around, kicking his pants off as he looked, trying to find a condom. “Shit. I think we ran out.”

“Fuck it,” PK said, pulling John into a kiss, their medals clacking together. “We’re fucking gold medalists. Let’s have a gold medal baby.”

 

PK sat next to John on the plane back to Toronto, head resting on his shoulder as she dozed. Things at the closing ceremony had gone on until late, the Canadian teams still high off their wins, and PK was exhausted. But it would be good to get home. Steph’s leg was still healing and they had a few days before their next game. 

PK turned on her phone as soon as they landed and called Steph.

“Nope, sorry, got an appointment,” Steph said hurriedly. “Your dad’ll be there. I’ll see you at home, okay?”

PK was disappointed, but she smiled when she saw her dad and gave him a hug. Her dad gave John back-thumping hug too.

“Our gold medalists!” he laughed, “home at last!”

John smiled sheepishly, all of a sudden shy around her dad. And probably because of all the people in the airport looking at them.

(Steph telling them)

PK didn’t even realize that she was pregnant until they were eliminated from the playoffs.

“Shit,” she said when she saw the stick’s results. She wouldn’t have even thought to check, but the doctors had asked about it during her post-season physical and she’d remembered about the gold medal win party.

She let out a little giggle as she pulled out her phone to dial John, who was already back in Toronto with Steph.

“Remember what we said about a gold medal baby?” she blurted out when John answered.

John let out a bark of laughter. “You’re kidding, right?”

“Probably not?” PK asked. 

“One baby, two babies. Hockey Canada is going to be thrilled,” John joked and PK laughed. “Hey, we’ll figure it out when you get here, okay?” he said, tone turning serious. 

“Yeah,” PK nodded to herself. “Do you think you could book me an appointment with Steph’s doctor?”

“Of course,” John agreed. “Gotta take care of my family.”

PK smiled, tears prickling her eyes. Fucking pregnancy hormones. Probably. “Yeah, family,” she agreed. “Love you.”

“You too,” John replied. “Can’t wait to see you. Steph has lists and lists of things we can’t get until you’re here too, so I hope you’re ready for that. We can just get two of everything instead.”

 

PK had been home a week, pregnancy confirmed, when her mother insisted on a family dinner. Apparently John and Steph’s families were also included.

Which wasn’t that weird. The three families had always been close. And Steph had finally told her parents. Though PK wasn’t sure what Steph had and hadn’t told them. But this was probably a good time to tell them everything.

PK stood in the doorway out to the backyard, looking at her family gathering around. She ran her hands over her stomach nervously. She wasn’t showing yet. Not like Steph who had just popped, but she was o aware of it that it felt like she was. Like she’s going to walk in and her mother will know immediately; before she gets to explain.

But apparently explanations weren’t needed. “I’m pregnant. It’s John’s,” she’d ended up blurting out when her mother came over to give her a hug.

“Oh PK,” her mother laughed. “You were never very subtle when it came to your feelings. Of course we knew. We’ve just been waiting for you to tell us. Though this is definitely a bit of a surprise.”

“A good one?” PK asked hesitantly. 

“Oh course,” her mother answered, gathering her up into a hug. “Now go take care of your girlfriend. Her back is probably already starting to hurt. You’ll probably have that too soon.”

**Author's Note:**

> The "next season" referred to is the 2014-2015 season, when the Lightning made it to the Stanley Cup finals. Poor babies. No cup for them.


End file.
